The Portland daily press., 1887-04-30
ANCIENT coUNTERFEITERs.
What a Maine Boy Discovered on a
Cunning Trip.

The recent case which occurred in Greene,
Androscoggin County, where an old metal
plate was ploughed up which had on one
side perfect die for making copper cents
bearing date way back to the time when cop
per cents were first made in this country,
has recalled to man in Dexter an expert
ence Of his own with counterfeiters, when a
small boy. The Dexter Gazette tells the
story, he lived up in the western part Of
Maine, not far from the New Hampshire line
1t was little hamlet, with store. black
smith shop and few houses, a quiet little
out-of-the-way nook as you could find any
where. Its business transactions were few
and not much money circulated among the
people, but still enough had been received
that was spurious to occasion considerable
comment. He had heard more or less talk
about this money but had little idea what 1t
He was big enough to take gun and go
out In the woods by himself, and this was
one of his fayorite occupations. 1t was
on one Of these trips one pleasant summer
afternoon that he wandered of an unusual
distance and towards the widest locality
there was in all that vicinity.
he was stalking along watching every
movement and listening to every sound to
detect the presence of game, when from 9
heavy blows. A good deal astonished and
almost alarmed he went towards the
noise very cautiously. He soon came to the
brink of gully whence the noise came, and
peering through the bushes, saw three men
busily at work. One of them he knew, as a
man of his neighborhood against whom sus-
PIGEONS Of crooked dealing had been whis-
pered.
These men had mortised square hole in a
large maple tree and in this they fixed some
fbinU which thQv dr0va In with hQavu hlOyVs
and this was the sound that attracted his
notice. He was no longer frightened but
was curious to know what they were about
Sitting back in an easy position, completely
discovery, he watched them for a long time
waiting in hopes they would finish and &c
away, when he could examine matte r:
more closely.
They few around very spryly and would put
their apparatus into the mortise in the tree
and drive it in solidly, and then loosen it and
take it out. only to go through the sams
operation again. At last they stopped work
picked up their traps and hid them undel
some bushes. put on their coats and left th'
place.
As soon as he was sure they were out Of til,
way, and were not likely to come back anC
discover him, he went down and examined
things. The tree where they worked was Q
big and solid one, and the mortise was a:
lers that did the work. He easily found The
place where the apparatus was hidden. ant
| looked that over There were plates and
dies for making coin, besides other neces
sary fixings. The modus operGndi was tC
| cut a piece of the metal of shape to fit the
| die, which was then put between the steel
| plates In the mortise in the tree with outer
plates for bearings. and then wedges were
used to crush the plates together with grea
force. stamping the enclosed metal with the
| form of the die.
Reaching home after his adventure hI
| made a confidant of his grown up brother
who smiled little at his story but sai(
| nothing There were good many com
munings by some Of the neighbors for few
days but nothing was said to him about tn
money makers until his brother ant
another man came and started him off h
show them the place Of operations,
| 1t was easily found, tools and all. Thes
/ were gathered up and taken with them
They started off now in another direction
which led to large pond. Here boat wa
taken and going oat midway, long way
from shore in either direction, the surrepti
i tious articles were dumped overheard an,
| went gurgling down to. the bottom wher
they may probably be found to this day /
| anyone cares to look for them. This wa
the last of the counterfeiters, SO far as ever b
| knew. The neighbor whom he saw at worl
| there was about his business rs usual TO
| years afterwards, no complaint having beef
| made against him, and who the strange mel
| were he never knew.